News
Rex says stimulus funds will save jobs
Schools await arrival of $184M in federal money
By Yvonne Wenger
The Post and Courier
Monday, June 22, 2009
COLUMBIA — Within the next two weeks, South Carolina public schools will receive $184 million in federal stimulus money that Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said will save jobs.
Rex said the impact of that cash will be felt most noticeably by what students and parents won't see: dramatically larger class sizes.
Stimulus cash
State Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom is overseeing the receipt of federal stimulus money at South Carolina agencies. The state will receive $2.8 billion over the next two years for government services and a total of $8 billion if all the available tax breaks and grants are used.
A portion of that money, $700 million, that the state Supreme Court forced the governor to take, has not been received. That amount is for the state Legislature to sustain services throughout the recession, and the majority of it will go toward public schools.
So far, the state has received $332 million.
--Governor's Office, $40,545 for community-based youth services.
--Office on Aging, $90,646 for meals for senior citizens.
--Department of Education, $17.2 million for high-poverty schools.
--Department of Health and Human Services, $264 million for Medicaid.
--Employment Security Commission, $484.4 million for unemployment benefits.
--Department of Health and Environmental Control, $1.8 million for clean waterways and drinking water projects.
--Department of Commerce, $832,429 for regional workforce development grants.
An estimated 500 teaching jobs across the state were on the line until the state Supreme Court forced Gov. Mark Sanford to apply for a disputed portion of the federal stimulus money earlier this month. More than 80 percent of the $700 million in question will go to education over the next two years.
Rex said the first $184 million installment is on its way and will be divided among the state's 85 districts. How it is used will vary from one district to another. Fort Mill schools, for example, will be able to save spring sports and Greenwood District 50 will keep 54 teachers on the payroll.
In other places, the money could lessen the number of layoffs, save staff from taking furloughs, keep course offerings in place and ensure summer programs will be open, Rex said.
As in the Lowcountry, the stimulus funds won't cure all the budget woes facing public schools, Rex said. The sum of budget cuts handed down by the state Legislature because of falling tax collections is approaching $400 million, he said.
Berkeley County schools will receive an estimated $6.9 million from the stimulus cash. Because of the money, the district will be able to avoid furloughs, district Finance Director Brantley Thomas said. But to help manage the budget cuts, the district plans to implement a major reorganization by placing administrators in classrooms to fill vacancies, he said.
The final district budget will be heard at a public hearing Tuesday.
Charleston schools will adopt a budget Monday that will include $2.9 million in stimulus funds, which will be used to offset furloughs and lessen the severity of cuts.
Also on Monday, Dorchester District 2 will decide how to spend the nearly $6.5 million it is slated to receive from the stimulus money, said Allyson Duke, chief financial officer. Without the money, the district would have had to cut about 90 positions through attrition. Now, about 30 of those positions can be filled, she said.
Duke said Dorchester 2 also could lessen salary reductions for retirees serving on staff from 15 percent to 10 percent, add $1 million to a reserve fund and pump a little more money into extracurriculars.
Public schools also are receiving money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for other purposes, including funds to help serve children with special needs and those from poor homes. Since President Barack Obama signed the stimulus package in February, South Carolina has received $17.2 million for high-poverty schools.
Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-799-9051 or ywenger@postandcourier.com.
